POLITICAL SCIENCE 1
Pasadena City College
S. Anderson
MW 10:30 C337
INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
TEXT
James Morone and Rogan Kersh. By The People: Debating American Government, Brief Second Edition. (The book can be purchased from the PCC Book Store, the Bookmart located at 1535 E. Colorado Blvd. across from the college, or online. The text can also be rented)
Bibliography. You will be required to read one book from a book list handed out in class. You can purchase your selection from any major bookstore either on-line or in person. You may also want to see if your selection is in the Shatford Library or any other public library.
GRADING AND ATTENDANCE
There will be a midterm and a final examination. In addition to these two tests, you will be required to turn in one paper – three to five pages typed (the paper will be a critical analysis concerning the 2016 presidential elections – a handout will be given in class).
There will also be three short assignments (one-two pages) called “political shorts” (these assignments are explained on the final page of your syllabus). There will also be two in-class written exercises focusing on topics post-midterm that are not in your textbook.
Pasadena City College policy will be followed regarding attendance. “Students are expected to attend all class meetings of the courses in which they are enrolled. Students have a responsibility to drop classes they no longer attend. Excessive absences after the drop or withdrawal deadlines will result in the assignment of F grade.”
Your final grade will be derived from the following:
POLITICAL SHORTS 20%
MIDTERM (CORE ASSIGNMENT) 20%*
PAPER (CORE ASSIGNMENT) 20%*
FINAL (CORE ASSIGNMENT) 20%*
WRITTEN EXERCISES 10%
ATTENDANCE 10%
*YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL THREE CORE ASSIGNMENTS OR YOU WILL NOT PASS THE COURSE!
*YOU MUST PASS EITHER THE MIDTERM OR THE FINAL WITH A “C” OR BETTER AND COMPLETE ALL OTHER CORE ASSIGNMENTS TO PASS THE COURSE!
TURNITIN.COM
FOR THIS COURSE, CANVAS IS NOT USED! ALL NECESSARY MATERIAL WILL BE POSTED ON MY WEBSITE, WWW.FACULTY.PASADENA.EDU/SJANDERSON. ALL YOUR GRADES WILL BE POSTED ON TURNITIN.COM. I DO NOT USE POINTS ONLY THE PERCENTAGES LISTED ABOVE. YOU CAN FOLLOW YOUR COURSE PROGRESS ON TURNITIN.COM. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK!
TURNITIN.COM : CLASS ID AND PASSWORD: ID: 13336258 password: November (instructions for setting up turnitin.com are posted on my website)
PLAGIARISM, CHEATING, AND OTHER WAYS TO FAIL
You are responsible for your own work in this class. Each and every assignment must be posted on www.turnitin.com by the time the assignment is due. If you fail to submit a hard copy and a copy to turnitin.com, you will not receive credit for the class. There is a detailed explanation of how to use www.turnitin.com on my website. If you don’t pass either the midterm or final satisfactorily, you will not pass the course. Any student caught cheating on any core assignment will receive a failing grade and will be subject to further disciplinary action by the college.
Cell Phone use will not be tolerated in class. If you have an emergency, please use phone in the hallway. Three warnings will be given and if not heeded, you will be dropped from the class.
Laptop use in class is for taking notes only. Social networking, e-mailing, etc. in class will result a drop from class.
OFFICE LOCATION & PHONE: C347, 626/585-7495
E-MAIL: , website: http://faculty.pasadena.edu/sjanderson
OFFICE HOURS: OFFICE HOURS: MW 8:00-8:45, TTH 8:00- 10:30, OR YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH ME BY E-MAIL! You can also make an appointment with one of my assistants for extra help.
Throughout the Semester EXTRA CREDIT will be announced. The difficulty of the assignment will determine the amount of extra credit you will receive. You will be given a separate handout explaining in greater detail the types of Extra Credit you can complete. ALL EXTRA CREDIT IS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS ON DECEMBER 7TH. I suggest, however, that you turn extra credit in as you complete for feedback.
NOTE: YOU MUST COMPLETE THE CORE ASSIGNMENTS – MIDTERM, PAPER, AND FINAL – WITH SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE IN ORDER TO PASS THIS COURSE. EXTRA CREDIT DOES NOT REPLACE MISSED POLITICAL SHORTS OR MISSED CLASSES. IN ADDITION, YOU MUST PASS EITHER THE MIDTERM OR FINAL WITH “C” OR BETTER IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE!
THE COURSE
This course if for beginning students of Political Science – for those who will be majoring in the field as well as for those who are majoring in other areas but wish to understand the subject matter of American Government. The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the structure of American Government and to illustrate how it affects our lives on a daily basis.
ASSIGNMENTS
Aug. 29-31 Ideas That Shape American Politics
Assignment: M&K, pp. 2-41
Sept. 7 The Constitution
Assignment: M&K, pp. 42-83
Sept. 12-14 The Constitution (con’t)
Assignment: M&K, A-1 to A24, PS #1 DUE SEPT. 14
Sept. 19-21 Federalism and Nationalism
Assignment: M&K, pp. 24-111
Sept. 26-28 Civil Liberties
Assignment: M&K, pp. 112-145, PS #2 DUE SEPT. 28
Oct. 3-5 The Struggle for Civil Rights
Assignment: M&K, pp. 146-187
Oct. 10-12 Public Opinion and Political Participation
Assignment: M&K, 189-225
Oct. 17-19 MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Oct. 24-26 Campaigns and Elections
Assignment: M&K, pp. 250-281
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 Interest Groups and Political Parties
Assignment: M&K, pp. 282-323, PS #3 DUE NOV. 2, Written Exercise #1, NOV. 2
Nov. 7-9 Congress
Assignment: M&K, pp. 324-357
Nov. 14-16 The Presidency
Assignment: M&K, pp. 358-397, Written Exercise #2, NOV. 16
Nov. 21-23 The Bureaucracy
Assignment: M&K, pp. 399-429, PS #4 DUE NOV. 23
Nov. 28-30 The Judicial Branch
Assignment: M&K, pp. 430-467, PAPER DUE NOV. 30
Dec. 5-7 Domestic and Foreign Policy
Assignment: M&K, pp. 469-510
Dec. 12 FINAL EXAMINATION, 10:15-12:15
POLITICAL SHORTS
Political Shorts are due according to the above schedule. More detailed instructions for each assignment are posted on my website prior to the due date. They are short double-spaced typed assignments, one-two pages in length. Always cite your sources (follow MLA Format posted on-line). NO LATE POLITICAL SHORTS WILL BE ACCEPTED! We will discuss your political shorts in class.
Political Short #1 Due SEPT. 14 – Biography of elected or appointed official (WEBSITE POSTING WILL HAVE DIRECTIONS). You will select a name in class of an elected or appointed official and complete the following:
1. Write a job description for their position.
2. Outline the PUBLIC BACKGROUND ONLY! of your official. (what offices have they held, committees that are important, etc.).
3. Find three areas of activity that this person has been involved in since they have been in office. Summarize these issues in three separate paragraphs.
4. One paragraph describing their legacy.
USE A MINIMUM OF TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES – ONE SOURCE MUST BE OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITE AND OTHER SOURCE MUST BE OBTAINED THROUGH EBSCO (SHATFORD LIBRARY DATABASE)
Political Short #2 Due SEPT. 28– Public Television or Public Radio (WEBSITE POSTING WILL HAVE DIRECTIONS). Watch or listen to one program on public television or radio regarding a current issue. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ONLY STATIONS YOU JUNE USE:
Public T.V. Stations KCET Channel 28 or 50, kcet.org or PBS.org
Public Radio States KPFK 90.7, 89.3, 106.9 FM, or .org
Political Short #3 Due NOV. 2 –Political Ideas. (WEBSITE POSTING WILL HAVE DIRECTIONS) Rebuttal to an opinion piece from a journal or newspaper in the form of a letter to the editor regarding the 2016 elections.
Political Short #4 Due NOV. 23- Draft of Book Analysis. A completed draft of book analysis for review.
WRITTEN EXERCISES
There will be two written exercises in class this semester. Both written exercises will be completed in class after the midterm and will be worth 200 points each. We will be watching two DVDs regarding one domestic and one foreign policy. The dates of the written exercises are NOV. 2 AND NOV. 16.
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